Sample Prompts
and
Prompt Responses
Page 1
Prompts Created by the District Administrator
Sample Prompts for the Teacher to Respond To:
Pre-Conference (Not Required):
Our district's strategic plan focuses on giving parents the tools they need to help keep their children safe,
healthy and engaged in school. As a teacher, what steps will you take to support this district goal?
Post-Conference (Not Required):
You set a goal for supporting our district's focus of working with parents and giving them relevant tools they
may need. Did you reach your goal? How do you know? What evidence can you provide to demonstrate that
you met your goal?
Student Growth Goal Prompt (Required):
What does your student data show about the student achievement of ESL students in your class(es)? (C3)
Teacher Response:
My data shows that 95% of the ESL students in my classes are performing at Levels 1 or 2 on their
writing achievement, as measured by the district's rubric for writing.
Teacher Student Growth Goal:
By May of 2017, 100% of the ESL students in my classes will improve by one performance level in
writing, as measured by the district's rubric for writing.
Sample Prompts for the Principal to Respond To:
Pre-Conference (Not Required):
Our district's strategic plan focuses on giving parents the tools they need to help keep their children safe,
healthy and engaged in school. As a principal, what goal will you set to support this portion of our district
strategic plan?
Post-Conference (Not Required):
You set a goal for supporting our district's focus of working with parents and giving them relevant tools they
may need. Did you reach your goal? How do you know? What evidence can you provide to demonstrate that
you met your goal?
Page 2
Teacher Prompts Created by the School Administrator
Pre-Conference (Required):
Describe the learning activity that I will observe. What is the learning target for the students? How will you know
if they have met the learning target? What evidence will you use to demonstrate that the learning target has
been met?
Teacher Response:
During the activity, I will pose an environmental problem. In small groups, they'll discuss the problem
I've posed to them, and will identify at least three possible solutions to it. As a group, they will use a
rubric to choose the best of the three solutions to share out.
The learning target is that students will use a rubric to identify the best solution out of their three.
I will know if the learning target is met if the students can point out how their solution aligns to the
rubric, and why it was a better solution than the other possible solutions they brainstormed.
Post-Conference (Required):
Did your students achieve the learning target? How do you know? What evidence can you share?
Teacher Response:
Yes. The formative assessment I used demonstrates that each group of students used the activity rubric
to choose the best of their solutions to solve an environmental problem. Each group's representative
was able to defend their decision with the use of the rubric. When I asked the students in each group if
they supported the group representative, they all agreed.
Page 3
Teacher Prompts Created by the Principal
Pre-Conference (Not Required):
Is there anything specific that you would like for me to take note of while I am observing the activity?
Teacher Response:
Yes. Please note the level of engagement of my three special education students ... Susie, Rick and Sally.
Pre-Conference (Not Required):
Do you have any concerns about the activity I will observe? If so, please share.
Teacher Response:
I'm concerned that we may run out of time to finish this activity.
Post-Conference (Not Required):
As you reflect upon the learning activity I observed, what went well? What didn't go as well as you had hoped?
What would you do differently next time, if anything?
Teacher Response:
What went well:
Reviewing the two pieces of prior knowledge was helpful in setting the stage for today's lesson. I'm glad
I did that. The use of the time was a great tool for managing the group work. Students were highly
engaged, even the special education students.
What didn't go as well as I had hoped:
The lesson extended beyond the time I had allotted.
What I would do differently in the future:
Give the activity more time. Ask the other groups if they agreed with each presenter's choice of best
solution.
Post-Conference (Not Required):
What additional information would you like to share about the learning activity I observed? Examples include
prior learning, classroom circumstances, upset students, etc.
Page 4
Observation Notes:
T shared the learning target. She reviewed two prior pieces of knowledge: the environmental lesson from
yesterday, and the activity that had taken place last week where the students learned to use a rubric for decision
making.
T posed a different environmental problem to each group of students. She also gave them a copy of the rubric for
this activity, and went over it with them. She asked if they had any questions. Two S asked questions, and she
answered them.
T said that S had 15 minutes to brainstorm three possible solutions, and 10 minutes to then use the rubric to
evaluate their solutions and choose the one that met the highest standards in the rubric. T set a timer for the first
15 minutes.
S worked in groups to brainstorm their three possible solutions. Group A on task. Group B on task. Group C on
task. Special Ed students were engaged in different ways. Susie was sharing her ideas, and so were Rick and
Sally.
The timer went off. T transitioned the students to the next phase of the lesson ... to use the rubric to evaluate their
solutions and choose the best one. T set the timer for 10 minutes.
S worked in groups to compare their solutions against the rubric and choose the best one. T gave them a twominute warning.
Timer went off. T gave each group five minutes to describe their three solutions and to identify the best one as
measured by the rubric.
End of lesson.
Page 5
Observation Notes with Coding
(Danielson Framework)
(1c) T shared the learning target.
(1e, 2b) She reviewed two prior pieces of knowledge: the environmental lesson from yesterday, and
the activity that had taken place last week where the students learned to use a rubric for decision
making.
(1a) T posed a different environmental problem to each group of students.
(1a, 3d) She also gave them a copy of the rubric for this activity, and went over it with them.
(3b) She asked if they had any questions. Two S asked questions, and she answered them.
(3a) T said that S had 15 minutes to brainstorm three possible solutions, and 10 minutes to then use the
rubric to evaluate their solutions and choose the one that met the highest standards in the rubric.
(2c) T set a timer for the first 15 minutes.
(3c) S worked in groups to brainstorm their three possible solutions. Group A on task. Group B on task.
Group C on task. Special Ed students were engaged in different ways. Susie was sharing her ideas, and
so were Rick and Sally.
The timer went off.
(1e) T transitioned the students to the next phase of the lesson ... to use the rubric to evaluate their
solutions and choose the best one.
(2c) T set the timer for 10 minutes.
(3c) S worked in groups to compare their solutions against the rubric and choose the best one.
(3a) T gave them a two-minute warning.
Timer went off.
(1e, 3d) T gave each group five minutes to describe their three solutions and to identify the best one as
measured by the rubric.
End of observation.
Page 6
Observation Notes with Coding
(CEL / 5D+ Framework)
(P4) T shared the learning target.
(P2, P5) She reviewed two prior pieces of knowledge: the environmental lesson from yesterday, and the
activity that had taken place last week where the students learned to use a rubric for decision making.
(CP5) T posed a different environmental problem to each group of students.
(P5) She also gave them a copy of the rubric for this activity, and went over it with them.
(SE5) She asked if they had any questions. Two S asked questions, and she answered them.
(CP7, CP1, CEC2) T said that S had 15 minutes to brainstorm three possible solutions, and 10 minutes to
then use the rubric to evaluate their solutions and choose the one that met the highest standards in the
rubric.
(CEC4) T set a timer for the first 15 minutes.
(SE5, SE6) S worked in groups to brainstorm their three possible solutions. Group A on task. Group B on
task. Group C on task. Special Ed students were engaged in different ways. Susie was sharing her ideas,
and so were Rick and Sally.
The timer went off.
(SE2, CP1, CP3, CP4) T transitioned the students to the next phase of the lesson ... to use the rubric to
evaluate their solutions and choose the best one.
(CEC4) T set the timer for 10 minutes.
(SE2) S worked in groups to compare their solutions against the rubric and choose the best one.
(CEC4) T gave them a two-minute warning.
Timer went off.
(A1, A2) T gave each group five minutes to describe their three solutions and to identify the best one as
measured by the rubric.
End of observation.
Page 7
Observation Notes with Coding
(Marzano Framework)
(1.1) T shared the learning target.
(1.1, 2.1) She reviewed two prior pieces of knowledge: the environmental lesson from yesterday, and the
activity that had taken place last week where the students learned to use a rubric for decision making.
(2.2, 2.3, 3.2) T posed a different environmental problem to each group of students.
(3.1, 4.1) She also gave them a copy of the rubric for this activity, and went over it with them.
(3.2, 5.2) She asked if they had any questions. Two S asked questions, and she answered them.
(2.3, 5.2, 6.1) T said that S had 15 minutes to brainstorm three possible solutions, and 10 minutes to then
use the rubric to evaluate their solutions and choose the one that met the highest standards in the rubric.
(2.2, 2.3) T set a timer for the first 15 minutes.
(2.2, 2.3) S worked in groups to brainstorm their three possible solutions. Group A on task. Group B on
task. Group C on task. Special Ed students were engaged in different ways. Susie was sharing her ideas,
and so were Rick and Sally.
The timer went off.
(6.1) T transitioned the students to the next phase of the lesson ... to use the rubric to evaluate their
solutions and choose the best one.
(2.2, 2.3) T set the timer for 10 minutes.
(2.2, 2.3, 6.1) S worked in groups to compare their solutions against the rubric and choose the best one.
(2.2, 2.3) T gave them a two-minute warning.
Timer went off.
(6.1) T gave each group five minutes to describe their three solutions and to identify the best one as
measured by the rubric.
End of observation.
Page 8